School Counselor
Are you ready to embark on an extraordinary journey, where your purpose is to empower and uplift others through education? We're seeking a passionate and dedicated individual to become a School Counselor at Integration Charter Schools (ICS) and play a pivotal role in our vibrant learning community!
ICS seeks a School Counselor to assist, support, and cultivate a strong school culture anchored in social-emotional and academic support, guided by our values of Courage, Community, Teamwork, and Integrity. Serving as the child's in-house advocate, the counselor's main role is to identify and support every child's academic, social-emotional, and behavioral needs both in and outside the school environment. This is achieved by consulting with the key players in a student's learning process — the family unit, teachers, school administrators, and outside mental health professionals — to create a safe, positive, and supportive environment for the student. Grounded in the ICS vision of whatever it takes, the School Counselor is a 10-month, school-based employee who helps ensure every student is known, supported, and held to a high bar.
Responsibilities include:
- Provision of needs assessment of presenting problems and any other social, emotional, cultural, and familial needs.
- Provide direct evidence-based individualized interventions for students and family (academic, social-emotional, and behavioral).
- Classroom/lunchroom observations and push-in for the purpose of assessment and follow-through on management plans.
- Evaluate chosen evidence-based interventions to determine effectiveness and cultural appropriateness.
- Use data to curate 1:1 and strategic group counseling to aid in skill and social-emotional development.
- Familiarity with Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and ability to execute universal and tiered interventions to best support students and address emerging trends.
- Collaborate and consult with Principal, Assistant Principal, Dean, teachers, staff, and network support to create plans on how to best support student(s).
- Attend and actively participate in all collaborative meetings with school leadership.
- Work collaboratively with families and outside providers to link families to community-based mental health resources and support when and if necessary.
- Guardian engagement — introduction and outreach to caregivers of the entire caseload to better understand the needs of their child, and provide intentional ongoing collaboration.
- Participate and at times facilitate attendance meetings with the child, guardians, and school-based personnel.
- Provide crisis prevention, de-escalation, and response professional development to staff.
- Facilitate restorative mediation between students or student/teacher.
- AIM (Assessment and Intervention Meeting) — co-facilitate the AIM meeting for teachers and counselors to create intervention plans for students who are struggling behaviorally, emotionally, and/or academically.
- Join academic meetings with school leadership, students, and parents to assess issues related to academic failure and devise a support plan around interventions.
- Participate in and have responsibilities related to the FBA/BIP process.
- May be asked to participate in culture-building activities, family engagement events, open houses, etc.
- Additional duties may be assigned to the counselor by the Principal of the school.
Competencies & Qualifications include:
- Licensing as a School Counselor, Master or Clinical levels (LCSW preferred, LMSW or LMHC)
- Experience in evidence-based interventions specific to elementary school-aged children in a school environment.
- Strong ability to analyze data/trends and take appropriate initiative to be proactive.
- Desire to participate in the development and implementation of social-emotional events and initiatives within the counseling department.
- Deep understanding of the developmental needs of students in a K-12 setting.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- High degree of organizational skills; detail-oriented with ability to follow through in a fast-paced environment.
- Thorough understanding of best practices for students in a K-12 setting.
- Ability to use tech platforms such as Kickboard, PowerSchool, and Google Drive to track data and communicate effectively with the school community.
- A whatever it takes attitude, one that is centered in the notion of children first.
- A deep belief that every child can succeed, and a willingness to uphold high expectations for students, staff, and oneself to ensure that students are set up for success.
- Ability to model social-emotional skills such as willingness to take feedback, hear new perspectives, and try new things in support of student growth.
Additional Information includes:
- Weekly Wednesday half-day schedule for embedded professional development and planning.
- Small class sizes.
- Tuition reimbursement.
- Teaching certification pathway for those who qualify.
- Opportunity to be an integral part of our community, making a genuine difference and shaping the futures of our students.
- Students of ICS employees have access to after-care options.
- Free parking on-campus.
- Comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, and life insurance, a flexible spending account, paid time off, short- and long-term disability policy, commuter benefits, professional development opportunities, and a 401(k) retirement plan with an employer match of up to 3%.
- Employees qualify for both NYS Teacher Loan Forgiveness and Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
- Promotion of work-life balance to all staff members.
- Stipend program that promotes becoming a dual-certified teacher in New York State.
- Teacher Residency Program.
- Tuition-free Bachelor's degree program through Monroe College.
Hours / Salary
Monday–Friday, 7:30 AM–4:00 PM
$71,000+
Salary is based on years of experience and degree held.
ICS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.